Chapter 223: Haotian Sect… Again, It's Always the Haotian Sect
"You, you..."
Bai He wanted to curse out loud but managed to hold it in.
Never mind that the people in front of him were from Spirit Hall. Never mind that they were talking to Yang Wudi about his younger brother and son.
Never mind whether there were other hidden enemies around. The key issue was that if his actions caused Yang Wudi to miss any critical information, then he would never forgive himself.
He and Yang Wudi had been close friends for many years, and his clan had been barely surviving thanks to Yang Wudi's occasional support. He couldn't betray that.
Besides, from Han Li's words, it was clear that he was targeting him solely because he was Tang Hao's uncle.
Tang Hao again. Damn it, Tang Hao!
Fine, that's my sister's son. I can't curse him too much.
Bai He didn't even want to hear that name anymore.
Ever since he got entangled with Tang Hao, he had been suffering nothing but misfortune.
At first, the Speed Clan was just an affiliated clan of the Haotian Sect. Back then, the Haotian Sect was strong, and they were doing quite well.
His sister even married the Haotian Sect's leader, something that many people envied at the time.
For a while, they basked in glory.
But who would have thought… it was the beginning of a nightmare?
As Tang Hao grew older and after his sister passed away, Bai He's situation took a sharp turn for the worse.
Of course, the biggest reason was Tang Chen's rise.
The Haotian Sect had always been domineering, but by Tang Hao's generation, they had become even more arrogant and reckless.
Tang Hao, in particular maybe because of his innate talent was even worse than the rest.
He treated the affiliated clans like servants, calling them at his beck and call, using them however he pleased.
And that damn Titan… Was his brain malfunctioning?
Not only did he worship Tang Hao, but he even pledged loyalty to him.
This put the other three clans in an awkward position.
While they were still hesitating, things took a dramatic turn.
Spirit Hall accused Tang Hao of colluding with soul beasts, and the Pope himself led a hunt against him.
To be honest, at that time, most of them thought Spirit Hall had lost its mind.
If you're going to fabricate an excuse, at least make it a good one.
Why not go all the way and say Tang Hao fell in love with a soul beast and had a child with one?
With the situation unfolding like that, everything else had to be put aside.
The four clans immediately gathered their people and rushed toward the Haotian Sect.
To them, it was obvious Spirit Hall was feeling threatened.
They were afraid of the rise of the "Haotian Twin Stars" and were trying to eliminate them before they became a real threat.
That was the unanimous belief of nearly everyone in their ranks.
And it wasn't just them.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan also mobilized in support.
At that moment, the three upper sects still stood united.
But then, things took another unexpected turn.
When they arrived at the Haotian Sect, another piece of shocking news reached them
Tang Hao had broken through to the Title Douluo level and defeated the reigning Pope, Qian Xunji.
This news filled them with both fear and pride.
A true genius!
According to reports, Tang Hao had just barely reached Title Douluo, yet he had managed to defeat Qian Xunji, a Super Douluo.
That was an astonishing feat.
As they anxiously awaited Tang Hao's return, yet another message came
Qian Xunji had succumbed to his injuries and died.
Everyone was stunned.
If defeating Qian Xunji was good news, then killing him was a whole different story.
Still, they believed that as long as Tang Hao returned, the three upper sects, united with their affiliated clans, would have enough power to stand against Spirit Hall.
(Note: In their understanding, Tang Chen was still alive, and Qian Daoliu had lost to him in the past. Furthermore, Spirit Hall had never truly revealed its full strength.)
But as they stood firm, waiting for Tang Hao…
He never returned.
And the worst part?
The Haotian Sect a sect known for its unwavering strength cowardly backed down.
That alone was already disappointing.
But what was even more infuriating…
They chose to seal their mountain and retreat, abandoning the very affiliated clans that had stood on the frontlines for them.
Yes, they were abandoned.
The Haotian Sect took only their direct disciples and disappeared, leaving the rest behind without even a word of explanation.
To add insult to injury, they publicly declared that Tang Hao had been expelled from the sect and that they would no longer concern themselves with their affiliated clans.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan were outraged and left in fury.
And then, Spirit Hall arrived to drive them out.
Yes drive them out.
Because the land that once belonged to the Haotian Sect was now under Spirit Hall's control.
At first, Spirit Hall even extended an offer to recruit them.
But how could they accept?
They had just been abandoned by the Haotian Sect.
They had clashed with Spirit Hall many times before.
How could they simply join the very organization they had fought against for so long?
Besides, the land Spirit Hall took over was their home where their ancestors had lived for generations.
How could they just walk away from it?
So, they fought.
And they were utterly crushed.
It wasn't even a contest.
There was no way they could match Spirit Hall's forces.
Many lives were lost before they barely managed to escape.
Afterward, Spirit Hall didn't even bother chasing them.
They simply withdrew and solidified their hold on the land.
But the damage had already been done.
Blood had been spilled.
And once blood is shed, hatred is born.
Over the years, they repeated the story so many times that even they started believing that Spirit Hall was their mortal enemy.
Of course, they also deeply resented the Haotian Sect and Tang Hao.
All of them did except Titan.
Yes, Titan had somehow separated the Haotian Sect from Tang Hao in his mind.
He believed that everything was the Haotian Sect's fault.
Tang Hao, in his eyes, was blameless.
"In that case, your people can leave first. But of course, he has to stay."
Han Li pointed at Bai Ming, who was still lying on the ground.
To be honest, Han Li's intentions were good. He simply wanted to ease Yang Wudi's worries.
But to Yang Wudi's ears, these words sounded like an open threat.
Your clan members can leave, but your strongest fighters must stay behind?
Is Spirit Hall planning to wipe us out completely?
A deep sorrow flickered in his eyes as he gripped his spear even tighter, but he still nodded toward his retreating clan members.
The younger members of the Po Clan and the Min Clan all shot hateful glares at Han Li and his group, but they still followed orders and slowly withdrew.
Han Li was puzzled.
I just asked them to step aside because some things aren't meant for them to hear. Was there really a need to glare at me like that?
Why do they look like they're leaving their people behind to die?
Once his people had vanished from sight, Yang Wudi twirled his Soul Breaking Spear and took a battle stance.
"Come."
Come?
Come for what?
Han Li finally realized the problem.
These subsidiary clans harbored deep seated hatred toward Spirit Hall.
They actually think I'm here to kill them?
Did they never even stop to question why I let the others go?
"Don't misunderstand. I have no intention of fighting you," Han Li said, waving a hand casually.
"As I said before, I just want to talk. Why do you all hold such deep hostility toward Spirit Hall?"
"Hmph! What's there to talk about? When Spirit Hall massacred our clans, did they show any mercy?"
Yang Wudi's snort was filled with cold resentment, but his gaze still darted around, searching for hidden enemies.
"Massacre?" Han Li frowned.
"Yang Clan Leader, you can deceive others, but don't deceive yourself. You were there. You know exactly what happened. Stop twisting the truth."
Yang Wudi flinched but stubbornly said, "Spirit Hall killed my clan members. That's a fact. My son and younger brother died because of them."
"You also killed quite a few Spirit Hall members, didn't you? And who said your son and brother are dead?"
Han Li's words were direct. There was no point in sugarcoating the truth.
"What did you say?"
Yang Wudi's grip on his spear trembled.
In his heart, he had long accepted that his son and younger brother had perished all those years ago.
Now, after all this time, someone suddenly told him they were alive?
His dead heart began to beat again.
"Old Goat, be careful. Don't forget, he's from Spirit Hall. He might be lying to you," Bai He quickly warned.
"Mmm, you're right. I'm totally lying. I don't know anyone named Yang Wushuang or Yang Yan at all."
Han Li lazily turned his gaze to Bai He, playing along with his words.
"They're really alive?"
Even with Bai He's warning, Yang Wudi couldn't stay calm.
His son, Yang Yan, had been born late in his life.
By Douluo Continent's standards, he was considered a child of his later years his most cherished treasure.
Few people even knew his son's name.
"Of course, they're alive. They're doing far better than you are."
Han Li glanced disdainfully at Bai He.
A soul master clan reduced to this sorry state?
Bai He fidgeted under Han Li's gaze but managed to glare back.
"Then why have they never contacted me?"
Yang Wudi slowly lowered his spear, his voice tinged with bitterness.
"That's not their fault. They weren't allowed to. And frankly, you should be grateful to them. If they hadn't joined Spirit Hall, do you really think your Four Single Attribute Clans could have survived?"
"Do you think you escaped because you were fast? Or because you were Tang Hao's uncle?"
Han Li directed his words at Bai He.
Frankly, he found Bai He's presence irritating.
If Bai He weren't standing next to Yang Wudi, Han Li wouldn't even bother talking to him.
Bai He's face turned pale with anger.
What the hell? Why is all the sarcasm directed at me?
I barely spoke a word! How is this fair?
I'm an agility type soul master, not a tank!
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